Friday DIY: Making a simple cardboard base shapers to save a saggy bag

by xin on August 2, 2013

Ever have those moments…you like a bag so much, but the bag base is so soft that it sags when you have a full load handbag?

It’s ugly and annoying. In fact, not many handbags have a sturdy base that makes the whole structure looks strong. Sometimes it’s mind boggling to think that why can’t bag manufacturers pre-insert a cardboard underneath the lining.

There are a couple of online retailers selling base shapers for the popular designer bags, namely LV & Gucci, and even Longchamp.

Here’s an example of a saggy bag base when the bag is fully loaded, with a tablet, water bottle and a bottle of shampoo in it.

Most of the time, the stuff in our handbag are smaller items hence it’s difficult to distribute the weight evenly, so, with the help of a simple concept such as a base shaper, it can save the ugly look of the bag.

However, most of the retailers are based in US, and the shipping can be as high as the price of a base shaper. It’s usually made of acrylic or PVC wrap. Of course, they will look better than just a piece of cardboard.

To make a bag shaper, you will need some sturdy cardboard, I have my cardboard when I purchases photobook, and the cardboard is really sturdy and it’s a double layer cardboard that looks like waffle.

First time is, measure the base of your handbag and give it and minus about 2cm from the width and length to give it a good fit.

When you have slice the cardboard to measurement, make sure you round the corner first with scissors before try fitting it into your bag to avoid the lining being sliced by the sharp corner.

Continue to trim if it’s still too big.

You can stop at this step if you think it’s good enough for you.

If you prefer a waterproof base that can last you longer, proceed to following steps.

I found a Marc Jacobs folder and thought it looked cute as a wrap, and it’s waterproof too. Or you can simply use a transparent wrapper for this purpose.

Just wrap the cardboard with it and make sure you tape it properly especially around the corners. You wouldn’t want the glue from the tape to stain your lining either.

When you are finally done, place it in your bag and road test it again!

It looks quite odd with polka dots lining in the bag, but it’s fine because no one is going to look into your bag!

Now, road test it again! I used the same items earlier and now, it’s looking much better!

This DIY can be applied to most bags and you can easily customize the size to suit your bags without forking out extra cash.